


The Brand

by Willow_River



Series: Gregor's Past [1]
Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: Backstory, Gen, OC cameo, theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-05 23:30:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5394311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willow_River/pseuds/Willow_River
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Here's what I think is the reason behind Gregor's infamous brand. Let's face it, when you get a bunch of young boys together and don't give them much to do, shenanigans are bound to occur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Brand

“Let’s play the dare game!” Cole called out to the other boys. 

It was a quiet night. The Outriders had just finished slaying some monsters in the area, and had made camp on their way home. The stars were out and campfires were lit. Most of the adults were busy keeping watch or cooking supper, though some kept themselves occupied with exercise or stories comparing who’d killed the biggest owlbear. The rest had turned in for the night, or at least until they were called on for watch.

The younger recruits had been left more or less to their own devices at the edge of camp. They were supposed to be keeping watch, but only a few were taking the job seriously as the older and rowdier boys wrestled and otherwise distracted themselves from the task they’d been given. Gregor was among the few actually doing his job, and the only one trying to get the others in line.

“Guys, we’re supposed to be looking out for monsters,” Gregor reminded the boys for the fifth time. “How can you see them coming if you keep goofing around the fires?”

The boys ignored him, choosing instead to follow Cole’s proposition. 

“They’re not going to listen, Gregor,” a young redhead named Willow sighed with a soft voice. She was a newer recruit, not good at close-quarters combat yet, but surprisingly skilled with a bow for a (what they assumed to be) 13-year-old girl. “Just leave them be and they’ll get bored eventually. Besides, you’re ruining your night vision too every time you look back at them.” She fiddled with an arrow as she stared tired-eyed into the forest in front of her. 

Gregor looked over at her and wondered, for probably the hundredth time, what her story was. She claimed to have no memory of her past, but the bow they’d found her with and the odd green vine tattoos that wrapped around her arms and the blue circlets around her forehead suggested something at least mildly exciting. The boy looked back at the others one last time before focusing on the area in front of him, keeping a lookout for anything that might threaten the camp.

The dare game was simple; going around the circle, the last boy to complete a dare would then dare the boy to his right. The dares ranged from simple things such as completing so many one-armed chin-ups, to more gross things along the lines of eating a worm, to downright stupid things such as trying prank another Outrider or nick someone else’s weapon. The boys performing those dares usually came back empty-handed and slightly more miserable, if they came back at all.

The night wore on and the fires started to die down as more of the adults went to sleep

“Guys, come on, we’ve been keeping watch alone for hours,” Gregor eventually complained. “Can somebody switch so I can sleep?”

“Me, too,” Willow piped up. “I can’t even see straight anymore,” she complained, rubbing her eyes wearily.

The boys looked around the circle at each other. Ryley and Joshua had just returned from a rather stern lecture about trust and responsibility, and so volunteered to take up the pair’s positions.

“Wait, before you go to bed, Gregor,” Cole stopped the tired young boy, “how’s about you play a bit? Seems only fair you get a chance to join in the fun.”

Gregor hesitated, was about to protest, when another boy piped up. “Forget it, Cole. He’s not up to the challenge.” Gregor’s ears immediately perked up at the word.

“I’ll do it!” he responded, perhaps a bit too eagerly.

A boy named Theo was next for giving dares, so it was decided he’d pick the dare for Gregor. He thought long and hard. What would be the most entertaining thing to get the boy to do? They all knew that Gregor was probably the strongest of any of them, so no normal dare would do.

Willow, figuring nothing good could come of this, came up behind Gregor and put a hand on his shoulder. “I really don’t think this is such a good idea. Theo’s ruthless, you know. Just -”

“I’ve got it!” Theo interrupted the redhead. “Gregor, I dare you to brand yourself with the Outriders symbol.”

“What?!” Willow shrieked, no longer groggy. “Are you crazy, Theo? Even if any of the branding irons were being used right now, those are for horses. Gregor’d lose his skin if he used one of those on himself!”

“Don’t sweat it, Willow,” Gregor smiled at her. “I’m tough. I’m sure I can handle it.”

“That’s not how it works, Gregor-”

She was once again cut off by one of the boys running back to the circle with a branding iron. It wasn’t red hot, but Maggie could tell by the way the boy held it away from himself that it was still more than warm enough to burn. Why there had been one of the irons over a fire, none of the group could fathom, but before Willow could even begin to question the situation, Gregor already had the brand in his hand and his shirt off.

“Gregor, don’t!” Willow tried to rush forward and stop the boy, but two others grabbed her by the arms and held her back as she thrashed and struggled. A few others shuffled nervously, but said nothing as they watched Gregor.

Gregor hesitated for a moment, the iron poised over his skin. One boy whispered to another that he knew the brunette wouldn’t be able to do it. Suddenly determined, Gregor took a deep breath and thrust the metal against his chest. All of his muscles spasmed for a moment at the shock of pain and he hissed loudly through gritted teeth before dropping the iron to the ground.

The other boys stared in awe, the pair holding Willow dropping her arms. The girl wasted no time in scrambling away.

“Aryn! Ventis!” she shouted as she ran around the camp, searching for her mentor and their leader. “Gregor’s hurt!”

 

Gregor woke up the next morning to find his chest wrapped up in bandages. The skin over his heart still had a mild burning sensation whenever he moved. Ventis gave the boy a rather stern lecture about bravado and knowing when something’s just plain a bad idea. When he was done, he informed Gregor that he wasn’t allowed to fight for at least a week while the burn healed.


End file.
